New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Visinfpiki’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Visinfpiki’, characterized by its rounded and upright plant form; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance; dark green-colored foliage; freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the foliage; and large soft pink-colored flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Impatiens hawkericultivar Visinfpiki.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Visinfpiki.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new vigorous New Guinea Impatiens cultivars withlarge flowers and interesting and unique flower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in September, 2001, of a proprietary Impatiens hawkeriselection identified as code number 01-147, not patented, as the female,or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selectionidentified as 01-648, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. Thecultivar Visinfpiki was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Gensingen, Germany in March, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings atGensingen, Germany, since March, 2002, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Visinfpiki’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Visinfpiki’ as a new and distinct Impatienscultivar:

-   -   1. Rounded and upright plant form.    -   2. Vigorous and freely brancing growth habit; bushy appearance.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the        foliage.    -   5. Large soft pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens have larger flowers than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens are more freely flowering than        plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more vigorous than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens are more uniform than plants of        the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivarKallima, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,146. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Kallima in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more freely branching than        plants of the cultivar Kallima.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Kallima.    -   3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens was lighter pink        than flower color of plants of the cultivar Kallima.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Impatiens.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Visinfpiki’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers and leaves of ‘Visinfpiki’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Visinfpiki has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light internsity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotographs and the following observations and measurements describeplants grown in Bonsall, Calif., during the summer under commercialpractice in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse providing 50% lightreduction with day temperatures ranging from 21 to 35° C. and nighttemperatures ranging from 18 to 24° C. Plants used in the photographsand following description were about ten weeks old and grown in 15.25-cmcontainers with one plant per container.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Visinfpiki.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri            selection identified as code number 01-147, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri            selection identified as code number 01-648, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 18° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, summer.—About 14            days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, winter.—About 18            days at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine and freely branching; white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Rounded and upright; vigorous growth            habit.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching with about            eight lateral branches developing at the base, dense and            bushy growth. Pinching, that is, removal of the terminal            apices, is typically not required.        -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 32 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Internode length: About 2.6 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls;            simple. Length: About 11.6 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm. Shape:            Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface:            146A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A to 147B.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: More gray than 148A.            Venation, upper surface: 182B. Venation, lower surface:            185C. Petiole: Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 182A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single axillary flowers.            Freely flowering, usually about ten flowers and flower buds            per lateral branch. Flowers positioned above and beyond the            foliage and typically face upward or outward. Flowers mostly            flat; roughly rounded in shape. Flowers last about seven            days on the plant. Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium            persistent. Flowers not fragrant.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            the garden, flowering from spring until fall.        -   Flower height.—About 6.2 cm.        -   Flower width.—About 6 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 3.2 cm.        -   Flower buds (at stage of showing color).—Length: About 2 cm.            Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 65A.        -   Petals.—Quantity: Single, five per flower. Length: Banner            petal: About 2.7 cm. Lateral petals: About 3.2 cm. Base            petals: About 3.7 cm. Width: Banner petal: About 3.8 cm.            Lateral petals: About 3.2 cm. Base petals: About 3.5 cm.            Shape: Cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; velvety.            Color: When opening, upper surface: 73A t o 73C. When            opening, lower surface: 68D. Fully opened, upper surface:            69A; towards the base, 67B to 69D. Fully opened, lower            surface: 67A; towards the base, 67C.        -   Spur.—Length: About 5.4 cm. Diameter, at flower base: About            3 mm. Diameter, at apex: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 146C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Angle: About 45 to 50° from vertical.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused            at anthers, filaments free. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther            size: About 3 mm by 6 mm. Anther color: 155A. Amount of            pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 160D. Gynoecium: Pistil            length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color:            155A. Style color: 144B. Ovary color: 144B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from 5 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named‘Visinfpiki’, as illustrated and described.